Fine Cantonese restaurant Taste Paradise unveiled a new seasonal menu to mark the dawning of the spring season. It features a medley of dishes specially curated using luxurious sea and land ingredients, including osmanthus mussel, coral trout and lobster.
The menu will be available from now till 30 April 2023, with special discounted prices* on weekdays for Maybank Credit or Debit Cardmembers and PGR members.
Chilled Ice Plant with Tangy Sesame Sauce 3.8/5
We started off dinner with starters from their existing menu. First of which was the refreshing Chilled Ice Plant 胡麻酱冰菜 ($16.80). The fragrance of the nutty sesame sauce made this an appetising start, but the ice plant could be crunchier.
Classic XO Carrot Cake 4.2/5
For the second starter, we had the Classic XO Carrot Cake 经典XO酱萝卜糕 ($14.80). Each carrot cake cube had a lovely thin and crisp crust around it but remained fluffy and soft inside. Stir-fried in an umami XO sauce, eggs, and beansprouts, the savoury notes and hint of spice made this very appetising.
Doubled-Boiled Black Chicken Soup with Sea Whelk and Sea Coconut 4/5
The Doubled-Boiled Black Chicken Soup 海椰皇螺头炖乌鸡汤 ($76.90*, UP: $85.90) is carefully boiled for over 8 hours before it's served to diners. The clear yet flavourful superior stock is made with fresh sea whelk, chicken feet, American ginseng, wolfberries and coquito nuts. While I wasn't a fan of the hard and crunchy coquito nuts, they did provide a mild sweetness to the broth. We were also told that they aid in strengthening your immune system.
Steamed Coral Trout with Pickled Cabbage and Potato Vermicelli 4.5/5
Our favourite dish of the night was the Steamed Coral Trout 川味酸菜水晶粉蒸东星斑 ($18/100g*, UP: $20/100g) prepared in Szechuan style. The fresh slices of boneless fish fillets were firm and tender, with the gravy packing a comfortable level of heat and numbness. Hidden underneath was springy potato vermicelli that soaked up the broth particularly well.
Boston Lobster Black Truffle Fried Rice with Sakura Shrimp 4.2/5
The Boston Lobster Black Truffle Fried Rice 波士顿龙虾黑松露樱花虾炒饭 ($76.90*, UP: $88.90) is fried with a housemade truffle sauce to a mild smoky fragrance, with sakura shrimps, chopped asparagus and diced fresh mushrooms. Topped on top are chunks of tender Boston lobster meat. The truffle fragrance was stronger than its flavour, but we appreciated that as it allowed the rest of the ingredients to shine better.
Stir-fried Osmanthus Mussel with White Asparagus in Black Truffle Sauce 4.2/5
Our last savoury dish of the night was the Stir-fried Osmanthus Mussel with White Asparagus 松露松茸桂花蚌炒淮山白芦笋 ($76.90*, UP: $86.90) that is done in the same black truffle sauce. Osmanthus mussels are unlike the usual mussels that we are more familiar with. They are softer with a bit of a chew and have an impressively light crunch. The earthiness from the matsutake mushrooms paired with Chinese yam, spring white asparagus, fresh lily bulb petals and the aromatic truffle sauce was delicious.
Chilled Aloe Vera and Lemongrass Jelly in Sour Plum and Lime Juice 3.5/5
We ended the meal on a refreshing note with the Chilled Aloe Vera and Lemongrass Jelly in Sour Plum and Lime Juice 芦荟酸柑香茅冻.
Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.
Taste Paradise
ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#04-07
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 65099660
Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (NS Line, TE Line)
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun, PH: 1030am - 430pm, 6pm - 10pm
Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]
